Given Time
by Krypton13
Summary: He will travel dimensions and time just to see her. Spuffy eventually, of course. My take on what would happen after the season finale - haven't read comics or watched the final season of Angel, so, my own idea. Read, and review, please and thank you?
1. Chapter 1

_Again, I haven't read the season 8 comics of Buffy, and I'm only one season 2 of Angel. I came up with this idea way before I even heard about the whole... Season 5 of Angel thing. I'd say what, but I don't wanna spoil it for anyone who hasn't watched it, like it was spoiled for me. Anyway, from what I've heard about season 5 anyway, this is still pretty original._

_*K_

_Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form, Joss Whedon or Mutant Enemy. Have to say, I wish I were. Buffy would've gone on for soo much longer than it did, and Spike would've been introduced as a main character much early!_

He opened his eyes to a land of white. It was a place of peace, of no pain. Of pure happiness and content.

"What the bloody hell is this?" he asked in his accented British voice.

Looking down at himself, he saw cream colored robes, and pure, fluffy wings behind him, attire matching his bleached hair. Once again, he wondered aloud, "What. The bloody. Hell."

Pushing himself up with his muscular arms, he looked around once more. Having traveled the entire world more than once in his hundred-some years, he'd seen snow. He'd seen white sand. But this blankness was neither. It was… Clouds? Fluffy white clouds. Bloody right.

As he stood, he noticed it was simple. Much too simple. It was as if there were no purpose for the muscles in his arms, abs, and legs. He then realized that the snowy wings behind him were attached – and flapping. It was like antigravity, if there were any gravity here.

Not sure what else to do, he repeated "What the _bloody_-"

"Heaven."

"What?" Spike asked in shock.

The voice repeated, "Heaven, William. You're in Heaven."

"Oh, hell," he muttered as he thought of his time in the basement of the new Sunnydale High, "I think I'm having war flashbacks."

The voice sounding around him gave a soft chuckle. "You are not crazy, William. Everyone here can hear me – at least, they can if I talk to them. I suppose you know that's how it works for the First Evil, too. But, though I am The First, I am not an instrument of evil."

For the first time in over a hundred years, Spike was at a loss for words. "Oh," was the only one he could think to say. The only time he had had anywhere near the lack of speaking ability he was experiencing now was when Buffy had –

Buffy.

"Do not worry about Buffy. She survived the collapse of the Hellmouth and of Sunnydale, William. She is now save in Los Angeles with Liam and her other friends."

"Liam?" Spike felt a smirk creeping across his face. "You don't mean…"

"Oh, right," the voice of "The First" came again. "I – I forgot. I suppose you know him as Angelus, or Angel."

"Bloody right I do," Spike replied, still smirking. At the mention of something, someone, as familiar as his GrandSire, his brain had begun working again. "Anyway, if I'm in Heaven… Well, what kind of "First" thing are you? And, why the hell would a demon like me be in Heaven, anyhow? I'd kind of expect to be tortured in some sort of bloody hell dimension."

"Think you could ask one question at a time, William?" The First asked him somewhat sarcastically. "Well, I am exactly the kind of First you would think of. The very first being. I have been called God, the Creator. Most know me as divine, though I prefer not to be worshipped, as they believe I do. I mean, creating the universe… Not as big a feat as you would think. Quite simple, really. I do wish Man would get over themselves, anyway. It is not like I really have in image to create them in, now do I?"

Spike snorted. "Bloody right," he agreed. "But, instead of sitting here talking about Man like a couple of teenage girls… You think could let me know what I'm doing here?"

"Oh, right. I apologize for getting off track, William. It's just been a while since I've had someone to complain to about… Well, you know. Anyway. William-"

"Call me Spike, oh Divine one?"

"Right. Spike. You died – or, died again – saving the world. You are the reason the Hellmouth is closed, the reason my Earth is not overrun by the demons, which I did not create. Though part of you may be a demon, you are also part Man, one of my own creations. You belong here, with the rest of the good people. The rest of the heroes."

Once again, Spike was nearly at a loss for words. "Hero?"

"Yes, Wi –"

"Spike," Spike reminded The First.

"Spike. Again, you, and you alone, saved the world. This place, Heaven, is a haven for those who have performed feats such as this. For a normal being, it is simpler to end up here. All they must accomplish is one life as a good person. You, only the other hand… You have lived about two human lives, more of it spent performing evil than good. So, where creatures such as Liam have spent almost as long doing good as evil, saving the world one crisis at a time… You, Willi – Spike, you saved the world from the biggest crisis. The worst apocalypse yet. And for such, you have been rewarded by being placed here. In Heaven. As a hero."

Sometimes she would wake with a start with his name on her tongue. She could never remember the dream, but she knew it was of him. William the Bloody. Spike.

She knew in her heart that it had been right to leave him there. Right to allow him to save the world. So, she didn't regret that. Yet… She also wished there had been another way. Though she didn't love him – he had been right there – she felt as if, if he had stayed around longer, she could have fallen for him. And the loss of that possibility is her only regret of the entire ordeal. Sure, she felt bad, about how many people had died. It was horrible, the toll of saving the world. But she knew it was necessary, and that softened the blow.

She missed him. A lot. She didn't know where he was now – being a demon, she guessed some sort of hell dimension. But having a soul, and having died saving the world… That was what made her unsure. She felt that, wherever he was, it couldn't be too bad. Because he didn't deserve anything too bad. He may have been evil for most of his un-life, but somehow she felt he had always been more man than demon, something that could not be said for most vampires. Even Angel, when he lost his soul, would go crazy and evil, would become Angelus once more. But Spike… He had loved her even before having a soul. Unlike Angel, even without a soul he had been able to control himself, been able to think, to save people. Though the software in his head may have been the reason, she felt it was more than that. She felt there was something in Spike that didn't exist in most vampires – a conscience, not connected to a soul.

Now in LA with Angel and the rest of the crew, she had begun to move on with her life. In the eye of an unbiased observer, she would look normal – well, slayer normal, at the very least. No one knew of his late night visits to her mind. In waking hours, she managed to act like herself, saving people, slaying demons. Living her life. But she wasn't normal, not even slayer normal. She could focus her brain on the task in front of her, but her soul was concentrating on him.

Because, deep down inside, Buffy knew that Spike wasn't truly gone. Not for good.

_Okay! I'm on a sick day right now, so that's why I've got this written. Ah, the idea results of delusions... Anyway, I'll try to write more probably in the next week. _

_So, on an ending note - Like, Love, Hate? Let me know your opinion! It'll help make me a better writer, I don't mind constructive criticism in the slightest. _


	2. Chapter 2

**_Alright, sorry - for those who are reading this - about the long space with no updates. No excuse - besides, you know. My many excuses. Such as sick, homework, grounded, and the best on of all, lazy! Really, sorry. But, this is a remarkably long chapter, for me, anyway... So gotta give me some credit for that, right? No, I suppose you don't. But you should._**

**_Anyway, I should probably set up my background here. Buffy's in LA. Angel half-accepted the job offer at the end of season four, he still works from his hotel. Cordelia... Gone earlier than she was in the TV series. (Didn't I mention, I'm on season five now!) So... I think that's all. If I have any other 'authors personal perfect alternate universe' updates, I'll put them in an authors note. Right. So read on!_**

**_*K_**

_"Spike…" the soft sigh came from her lips, and a small smile crept onto her face. She stepped closer, ran her hands through his hair as he stared at her lovingly. "Buffy," he whispered as he brought his face to hers in a soft, sweet kiss. She closed her eyes, felt the cool of his lips on the warmth of hers, until suddenly they were both on fire._

_ Literally._

She willed herself to wake up, wake up, wake up. But she couldn't. She was forced to stand there, watching, as tears ran down her face and she watched him burn to a crisp. Become dust. "I love you," she said through her sobs as he disappeared.

The loud _beeeeeeeeeep_ of the alarm woke her up, cutting off her dream too late to spare her pain, but she was still grateful for the untimely end. She couldn't bear another second of reliving one of the worst moments of her life. Rolling over, she hit the _off_ button and gazed at the clock, brain moving too slowly to figure out what it said. Staring at it wasn't helping though, so she blinked and looked again, at long last seeing the numbers 7:03. She rolled back over, still in the half-dream state between sleep and full awareness. She didn't want to return to her dream, but she wasn't ready to face her friends, the sun. Already she felt it was going to be a bad day.

A hard rap on her door backed up that theory.

"Buffy?" a voice called softly through the thin wood. Even half asleep, she recognized that voice.

"Yeah, Angel?" she replied in a sigh. "Come on in," she invited, sitting up and resting her head on the wall. The door creaked open slowly, and the brooding vampire in black practically tiptoed in. That's saying something, considering he was totally silent walking normally – this way he made no more impact than a butterfly.

"Buffy, I, uh… Good morning," he gave a small chuckle. "I'm sorry, I just – this is, you know. Late. For you. I was just wondering if anything was… well, wrong."

_Yes, Angel. Everything's wrong. I'm dealing, and I know I should be happy to have you back after four years. But I can't help myself – I miss him. Sure, I loved you, but he… I was close to him in a way I'd never been close to anyone. And it was the same for him. _"No, nothing's wrong. Isn't a girl allowed to catch up on her beauty sleep after saving the world?" she laughed, forcing a smile.

He noticed it wasn't wholehearted, but didn't mention it. Instead, he laughed with her. "Of course, Buffy. But you know you don't need it."

"Angel, I know I like horrible… I haven't really slept in months… But hey, thanks for saying it. Like they say – it's the thought that counts."

They smiled at each other for another moment, then he broke the silence with "Well, we're all waiting for you downstairs. So we can save the world. Like we do."

"Oh, right. I'll see you down there, then…" And as suddenly as he had come, he was gone, the door to her hotel room closed again.

* * *

Padding down the stairs in bare feet, the smell of pancakes wafted up to her nose and she breathed it in. Most food was both a sweet and sour experience now. For example, the aroma she was smelling now was delicious and all, but it reminded her of her mother. Her dead mother.

It wasn't just food, either. After Sunnydale… She was dealing, sure. But every thought, every activity, was tainted with memories of the dead. Hiding it was easy enough – she'd been doing it for eight years. Not only her feelings, but also her memories. Almost everything was a secret since she became the slayer. And now… She wasn't the slayer. She was a slayer. And she supposed that entailed not being quite as special anymore.

_God, I've been spending too much time around Angel… _she thought. _I'm starting to brood like him, too. Spike would be so disa - _

Her thoughts were, thankfully, cut off by Xander. "Hey, Buffy! Finally up, I see?" he grinned at her, and she smiled back. Xander was one of the only ones who could really make her feel happy, like nothing had changed since she first moved to Sunnydale. That is, if she didn't look at him. One look reminded her of her final year there – and, actually, the town's final year too. Nothing like being built on a Hellmouth to cut your existence short.

"Hey, Xander. So, what's for breakfast?" She inhaled a deep breath, and put out a finger to stop his answering. "Wait, wait, don't tell me. Pancakes… Eggs… Toast… Bacon… Jeez, Xand, do we have a buffet going on down here?" She laughed.

He mirrored her merriment with his own. "Well, Buff, it is a hotel…"

The whole gang, plus some, had been staying at Angel's hotel, the Hyperion, since Sunnydale had been destroyed. It was plenty roomy, big enough for most to have a room to themselves. It was just a bit weird, being able to call a hotel your home. At least, for those who considered it more than a place to stay at night.

She grinned at him, shook her head. "An out of service hotel, Xander. Nobody here pays to stay. Though really, Angel should start charging rent…"

"Speak of the devil," Angel himself appeared, leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "And… You're right. I should. But, what with helping the helpless and all – that being, by the way, you – I just can't bring myself to do it." He shook his head as though in disgust with himself.

Buffy gave a light laugh, and tripped down the remainder of the steps. "Well, that's good… I couldn't pay you if you did. Now, really, I'm hungry. Let's see if everyone left us anything for breakfast."

* * *

The blonde vampire sat in the sky above it all, watching his love live as though on one of his soap operas. Actually, he had the luxury of watching his soaps up there, he just found Buffy more interesting than any television character – and for Spike, that's saying something.

"Willi – Spike, what are you doing?" The voice of the First resounded in his head for the first time in a week, and Spike gasped with the shock of it.

"Uh, watching my new version of the telly? That's all I do, Mr. High and Mighty. You haven't bloody given me much else, have you? No demons to kill or lives to save, that is… Since, you know. Everyone up here's dead," Spike spat out. After only a few weeks, he was really getting sick of this whole "all eternity in blissful rest" thing. Spike was never one to sit around. He was a man – and vampire – of action, not words.

"Really, William. You would think you would enjoy eternal happiness," the voice came to him again.

"Yeah, well. Never bloody considered my being a demon, then, did you? We don't deserve happiness. We deserve something to _do_," he snarled.

"Really, William. When you had something to do, you rarely did it. All you did when you were on Earth was watch your soap operas, and now you will not even do that. You watch and wish for her life, the life you gave up. Will you ever just relax?" The first chided him.

"I bloody told you, didn't I?" Spike volleyed in return. "I don't deserve this kind of happiness."

**_Okay, okay, everyone... Please, hold the applause. Actually, scratch that. If you liked it, tell me? If not, let me know why? I'm not much of a beggar. But I'm totally begging. Like I've heard said, reviews are love. Or hate. Whichever you mean them to be. (If you didn't catch it, that last part was all me doing the saying.)_**

**_Once again,_**

**_*K_**


	3. Chapter 3

**_Alright, for my readers: to make up for the long space between my first and second posts, I'm posting this just... What, three days later? Yeah, I think so. Okay! Just know, I'm not even sure what's happening. Not yet. I've only got an idea._**

**_So, read, and, if you wish, review! Please wish to. That'd be really terrific._**

**_*K_**

* * *

He had finally given up pining for his old life, un-life, and Buffy.

He had traded it in for pacing.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. It was a weird feeling. Back on Earth, walking on the same space this much would begin to hurt his feet, to wear down a hole in the ground. Here, it was just like floating to and fro, and whenever the clouds began to melt away, more of the white mist simply floated up from below. Here, he had no mark. Here, he could change nothing. And this pacing… It made that fact more clear for him. Yet he could not stop.

He continued to keep an ear open for his live soaps, of course. Both the ones on the television, and the real ones back on Earth. Even if he was dead, and beginning to bore of living through others, he needed to know Buffy was okay.

And so he paced. And listened.

"William," the voice of the First came to him once more.

"Ugh, God," he winced, stopped in his tracks. "What do you want now?"

"Well, William. Thank you for using the name the humans have given me, but –"

Spike interrupted him, rolling his eyes. "I'll bet you're just smirking now, aren't you?"

"Well, I suppose I would be, if I had a body… But, as I explained, I am simply an omniscient, non-corporeal being. Anyway, to my purpose here… William, I have a proposition for you. You seem… Bored. And I wish to know… You have a choice here. You can choose to spend all eternity here, resting and enjoying your honor as a hero. Or you can trade it all in, and become what you spent most of your life fighting. You can trade perfect happiness in to be a champion."

The First stopped speaking, and all in Spike's paradise was silent for a moment. Until his voice broke the peace. "Is that a real question, Mr. Creator? Isn't my answer bloody obvious?"

The omniscient, thundering voice faded out along with the room of cream clouds as Spike's heavenly body dissolved. "As you wish…"

* * *

When the universe's new champion awoke, it wasn't at all like waking in Heaven. Around him was the opposite of perfect blankness – it was all hard, black rock and red, exploding fire. It brought to mind the term 'fire and brimstone' – but Spike had a feeling that this dimension had nothing to do with the being he had just been speaking with. It was the reverse of his former home. The now ex heavenly being had awoken in a Hell dimension. He sighed and shook his head, clearing his brain. "Bloody hell. For real, this time."

* * *

Her day started the same as any other, with the sharp beep of the alarm clock cutting off a dream of him. Five minutes dressing in the dark, a long walk down three flights of stairs. Putting on a happy face for the benefit of the team, interacting, eating, fighting demons. Killing demons. Anything to keep him from her mind. At least, until sleep. Then she couldn't keep him away. And the cycle started all over again.

Until, halfway through, Angel got a call.

"Hello, Angel Investigations with Wolfram and Hart, we help the helpless," his bright voice matched his expression, encouraging the person on the other end to share, to trust. Until his brow began to furrow. "I see. Yes. That's… Oh. Sounds… dangerous. Of course. We'll have someone over there right away. Okay." And he hung up the telephone with a sharp click.

Buffy noted the look on his face, reciprocating with a confused one of her own. "What's up? You sound kinda stressed."

He looked up, then down, shook his head. "It's… A demon, of some sort. One I've never heard of before. It could be from another dimension, and I'm sure by now we all hate portals… We need to get a team out there, take it down. And it's kind of… daylight. Take them, Buffy?"

She nodded. "Of course. We'll head out right away."

He mirrored her movement gratefully. "Thanks."

* * *

"Okay, everyone, split into four. You guys behind, right, left. Lindsay, Kennedy, Lily. With me, from the front. This things gonna be hard to take – use everything possible. Let's go." The groups nodded and ran to their spots, lying in wait for the thing they were meant to fight. They waited, waited. And then, with a huge crash, it appeared.

It was three times the size of the average man, more muscular than ten body builders. It's skin was red, covered with bulging purple veins. None could actually see its face, as high up as it was, but it had clawed feet and the bottom of a devil's tail swept the ground. Buffy had never actually met The Beast, but she imagined this was worse than four of him.

So, with this thought in mind, they opened fire with axes, knives, swords, and, of course, her very own Slayer weapon.

And, to the surprise of all, down came the creature.

It crashed and burned, crushing skyscrapers and office buildings on it's way down. She couldn't even bear to imagine the number of people it may have killed. But first came finding out the necessities – what it was, why it came down so easily. What it was doing here.

She went to examine the demon's body, searching for a clue as to the answer to the questions. But before she could really look, the body of the giant creature disintegrated, cracked ground closing, destroyed homes and offices rebuilding themselves. She was the only one of her group on the street, in the midst of a rush of usual Los Angeles traffic.

In a daze, she slowed to a walk, looking for some clue that the last twenty minutes had ever happened. She was in luck.

Where the heart of the demon had been only seconds before, all that was left was a note, enclosed in an envelop, addressed to one Buffy Summers of the Hyperion Hotel, Los Angeles, California.

Slowly, she opened it and read the words written on the piece of paper enclosed within.

_ Buffy,_

_ You don't belong here. You're needed where you've never been – return to us. The world is lost without you._

_ Help._

_

* * *

_

**_Awesome! I think this is headed to an interesting direction... So once again, review? Please and thanks? I'll love you forever, I swear. Even though I don't really know you... Anyway. Thanks for reading. Wait for my next update, and keep following? (That'd be really terrific.)  
_**

**_Once again,_**

**_*K _**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Okay, so this one is incredibly super long (for me, anyway). To everyone, once again, thanks for following my story! _**

**_*K_**

**_

* * *

_**

"Buffy, there you are!" "Where did you go?" "We were looking all over for you!" She was surrounded by the words of twenty different worried friends and family members, all speaking to her at once, only adding to the headache the discovery of her letter had planted in her brain.

She held up her hands, silencing everyone at once. "It's… Nothing guys. I guess I just went for a walk. Thought I told somebody. Sorry you were worried," she soothed them, shaking her head. "Angel, Xander, Willow… Can I talk to you guys in Angel's office? Like, now-ish?"

With puzzled looks on their faces and confused glances towards each other, all three followed Buffy willingly enough into the closed off room and shut the door, cutting off the stares of the similarly worried faces of everyone else in the hotel's lobby. At her nod, Willow walked over and pulled down the shades. When this was down, the vampire, the witch, and the… Xander, each turned to the slayer expectantly, looking for a real explanation telling them where she went, why she went there, and best of all, had she found anything?

Sitting at Angel's desk, she sighed and placed her head in her hands, blonde curls sliding forward over her face. The four oldest survivors of the Sunnydale apocalypse stood in silence for a moment, three still waiting for Buffy to tell them what was going on even as she tried to figure it out herself. Finally, she broke the silence.

"Well…" the lead slayer began. "I – Angel, guys. You really don't remember?" They shook their heads somberly, and she sighed again, trying to decide how to explain. "Okay, then. Well, Angel, I came down this morning, and you got a call about a giant demon downtown."

"No, I did –" he began, and she cut him off.

"Yes, you did, Angel. At least, that's what I remember… Anyway, so I brought the team out, and we went to take it down. And I swear, guys, it was, like, mega tall, bigger than a skyscraper, and all scary-like. But we attacked, and it just went down, like, poof! Then it was gone, and everything was normal, and I was the only one there. And the only thing left was this."

Quietly, she lay the note down on the back edge of Angel's desk so the others could see, and read, it. They each took it in, the office filled with silence once more. No one spoke for a while as everyone concentrated on the mysterious words, thinking of their meaning, what the letter could possibly be doing there. It's purpose, and who sent it.

Finally, Willow spoke up. "Return to us?" she questioned in a worried voice. "What… What do they mean?" She frowned, turned to the blonde. "Buffy?"

The slayer shook her head, brow furrowed. "No idea who I'd return to. Half the people I know are dead." She forced a laugh, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Maybe –" Xander began, but Angel beat him to it.

"I know that handwriting," he stared at the sheet of paper, wearing the look that everyone knew to be his thinking face.

Everyone else looked at him, snapping up their heads. "What?" Buffy asked softly, "Angel… Whose?"

He answered slowly but surely, knowing his answer exactly. "It's Spike's. Spike wrote that."

* * *

"There," he laughed as he cut off the head of the final hell-beast with his axe, wearing his signature smirk, tongue curled behind his teeth. "Tried telling 'em it was gonna hurt, but no, they just had to fight. Bloody fun, anyway. Glad they didn't take me seriously."

Comfortable in his black T-shirt, jeans, boots, and long leather jacket, the bleach-blonde vampire stepped over the already dissolving bodies of his victims and swaggered past his just-ended war zone and onward beside the bright, radioactively steaming river of lava. To anyone standing ahead of him, his lean form appeared black against the orange, red, and yellow of his fiery background.

The hero marched on, killing any demons in his way, searching for the door to the next dimension, looking for a way to be one dimension closer to his love, the slayer. So far he had only traveled the one, ignited hell, and had already killed hundreds of beasts.

He spit, attempting to rid himself of the burnt taste in his mouth. The taste of fire and ashes, of life, but mostly death. It wasn't completely bad – even though the taste and texture included human death, it also stood for the death of the demons Spike had just killed. And that made him proud. He plastered his smirk onto his face once more, and continued on, still trying to find the edge of the world. Sure, Earth was round – but if Spike knew one thing, it was hell dimensions. And they definitely ended.

And here it was. He gazed up in rare awe at the tall, jagged, gray stone wall. It seemed to go on forever – the vampire couldn't see the top. He'd seen most of the world, including Mount Everest, and this single dimensional wall seemed to go on even higher than that. Luckily, it was only a couple hundred feet wide.

Spike strode along the edge of a wall, searching and rapping on every inch of the wall in an attempt to find the hidden doorway. "Bloody hell," he snarled, "where the hell is it?" Usually magical doorways could be found when they were most needed, or summoned with words in ancient languages. He was in great need, and he sure as hell didn't have any bloody ancient portal-summoning books. He growled, still scouring every inch of the wall to no avail. In defeat, he gazed upwards at the towering barrier. "Damn it, I'm not supposed to climb this bloody thing, am I?" He sighed, ran his hands through his hair, scratching his head. "I guess am, aren't I?" He frowned.

He ran his eyes over the stone once again, this time searching not for a door, but for convenient hand and foot holds. Then he shook his head and sneered. "Wait, I don't need to climb. I'm a bloody vampire!" He backed up about a hundred yards, then took of running toward the barricade, sprinting up the rock, perpendicular to the wall and parallel to the ground.

Suddenly, he felt his momentum slow, and he pushed forward harder and faster, not wanting to fall the thousands of meters back to ground level. Even as a creature of the night, he was stressing his muscles, pushing, pushing, hurting, and sweating. Finally, he reached the top of the wall. Spike wasn't afraid of heights, but when he peeked down over the side of the barrier he had just scaled, he could barely see the ground. He quickly pulled himself back to the level top of the wall, still breathing hard as a habit, as he technically didn't need breath. Taking advantage of an old trick, he kicked a small stone over the side and held his unneeded breath, beginning to furrow his brow when a full five minutes passed and he heard nothing. Double that time later, he heard the tiny but steadily echoing louder _click_ of stone hitting rock. "Whoa," he breathed. "This is a bloody tall wall."

Snickering slightly at his triumph, the vampire turned on his leather boot-clad heel, only to be assailed by a violent burst of white light, which he had to shield himself from. Head turned to the side, hands and arms covering his face, he tried spitting out words as they stuck in his mouth, "Holy, b-bloody hell! W-what the hell is that!"

A flowing, angelic, feminine voice answered him. "Sorry, William. Is that too bright?" The light dimmed to a bearable level, and Spike turned his head back to face the second most beautiful woman he had ever seen, bathed in a shimmering white light. She was very tall, though she may have seemed more so given she was floating a foot in the air, and still slender as a twig. She had white-blonde, straight locks cascading almost to her waist, large, sky-blue eyes, and was garbed in the same toga-like robes and wings that Spike himself had been wearing only days before. The woman smiled, "Ah, I see that's better. Well, hello, William. Honored to finally meet you. I've been sent by the Divine One."

Spike blinked, still adjusting to the heavenly glow. "Uh… Hi. About time, I haven't heard from him in days."

The angelic being's smile widened, "The Creator is neither a him nor a her, William. The Creator is simply an omniscient, all-knowing being that is neither – "

"Male nor female, yeah, yeah, I've heard the speech," he grumbled, interrupting.

"Well, yes, I suppose you have, haven't you, William?" The woman answered with a small smirk. "Anyway. As I was saying, I've been sent from the Greater Being to congratulate you on your success in making it through the first dimension. He is quite impressed, really. You have only three to go before you make it to your home dimension. So we wish to present to you the door to the next plane, and bid you good luck, and fare well." She gestured, a luminescent triangle appearing behind her at the same time as she disappeared.

Spike grinned and walked forward, into the door, enveloped and disappearing into a triangle of bright white radiance very similar to the one the angel had appeared to him in.

* * *

**_There! Thanks very much for reading. So, again, I thankfully accept both compliments and constructive criticism, if you have any to give._**

**_For those following this story, I'll probably update again any time between three days to one week from now._**

**_'Til then,_**

**_*K_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hi, everyone! I'm so, so, so sorry for the super long... I guess hiatus would be the word? I just wasn't inspired for a while. My English teacher kinda took away my creativity... Oh well. :/_**

**_But anyway, yeah, I'm back! Hold the applause... :)_**

**_So here you go, everyone! And once again, I'm so sorry. I hope you enjoy this, even though I know it won't make up for it._**

**_I'll definitely post again soon._**

**_*K_**

* * *

He stumbled from the triangular portal into a lush land of green leaves hanging from trees overhead and climbing skywards from the ground. He froze, scanning the area and listening closely to the minute sounds of the forest. From the distance, a small, perpetual sound reached his hears, and he struggled to identify the sound he hadn't heard in weeks. After seconds, which felt stretched to moments to minutes, he interpreted it – it was the sound of running water. Spike frowned, furrowing his brow, and spoke aloud to him self. "I thought I had three dimensions before Earth?"

As though in response to his question, words suddenly began to engrave themselves into the gray-brown bark of the largest tree before him.

_Dearest William,_

_ At this moment, you are most likely wondering why the "bloody hell" you are on your home planet. The thing is, you are not. This is another hell dimension, mostly meant to torture the happy lifelong residents of the desert. _

_ As all hell dimensions, this one is filled with terrible creatures, demons whose only purpose is to kill, to do evil. And as I have informed you, these dimensions are no creation of mine._

_ Due to this fact, once again you must find your way out of this dimension. After you have completed this task, killing any demons you may come across along the way, you may move on to the third of the four dimensions._

_ Best of luck, my hero._

_ -You know._

Spike ran his eyes over the words etched into the meat of the shrubbery before him, and his mouth took on his signature mix of a grin and a sneer. "Damn, he must miss me," the vampire scoffed, turning his eyes heavenwards. "But thanks for the tip, O Creator." With that, he strutted onward, his dark silhouette shrouded in the verdant foliage of the new dimension that it was his purpose to conquer.

* * *

She opened her eyes, blinking the dust from them, frowning. It was still dark out, she could see that even through the dark, heavy curtains draped over her hotel room windows. _Why am I up at… _she frowned, glanced at the clock. _3:58 AM! _ She tried to think of a good reason for another moment, before an ear-splitting scream cut through the darkness, the door, the walls, the floor. A blood-curdling shriek from below that couldn't be an omen of any good occurrence.

The blonde slayer sat bolt upright in bed, trying to discern exactly where the sound was coming from. After a moment of listening, she kicked back the covers and sprinted out the door and down the stairs, all the way to the first floor, room 107 – which, if she remembered correctly, was occupied by no one. Confused, but still determined to save the person in distress, she kicked down the barrier and rushed into an… Abandoned room.

She stepped in slowly, and spoke into the darkness "Is –". She quickly hushed her voice, as the loud tone sounded wrong. "Is anyone there?" she whispered.

And was met by a haunting white glow, like that of a ghost. A familiar voice, but one she couldn't quite place, responded. "Yes."

Buffy stared at the growing light in shock, and tried to ask another question, but had to clear her voice to get the words out. "Who is it?"

"What – oh, right. Light. You can't see me," the known-but-not-identified voice responded. "Hold on."

As the female voice spoke these words, the light began to dim, and a human shape started to take form. It was as though the luminescence was compressing itself, making a dark, yet flickering… Cordelia?

Buffy gasped, then asked in the same quiet tone, "Cordelia? Is it… is that you?"

The voice, now known to belong to one deceased Cordelia Chase, uttered a soft chuckle. "Yeah, Buffy. It's me. I – I'm sorry, to you know, disturb you, or whatever. I know it's four in the morning. But this was the only time I could talk to you, and only you. Without…" she cleared her throat. "Other people."

The slayer, whose mouth was still hanging open slightly, shook her head, trying to clear it, thinking of how to ask what she wanted to know. Before she could even form the first word, Cordelia was nodding her head, confirming the un-asked question. "Yeah, I'm dead. But I had to come back. The Powers That Be have a message for you, Buffy. For only you. It couldn't go through… Angel. So they sent me." She smiled sadly. "This is the last time anyone will ever see me, Buffy. I had one trip, to help one last person, before I have to go. Forever. So… I asked the Powers to let me come to you. And, obviously, they said yes."

The blonde girl was still trying to process the events of the last five minutes. "Uh… Okay." She hesitated. "So… you… have something to tell me?" she inquired a bit awkwardly.

"Oh, right." Cordelia tried to gather herself. "Um, it's about that note you got? Yeah, it was from Spike. But, Buffy… What you need to know… It's also from the past. Two hundred years ago." Here, the ghost-like girl looked up, meeting the other girl's eyes. "You need to go there, Buffy. Get someone to send you. August fifth, 1876. I need to go, now, but… Best of luck."

And just as suddenly as Cordelia had begun her final visit to Earth, it was ended.

* * *

**_So...? I hope you liked it. I know it's a bit short... That just seemed like a great place to cut off. Next time will be sooner than the last update, I promise! Like, cross my heart, and all that._**

**_Thanks for reading, and I love reviews. (hint, hint) ;)_**

**_*K_**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Hey, guys! So, when I get reviews, I message the people personally. But here, I just wanted to give a shout-out and a gigantic thank you to all the people who have put this on story alert, favorite-ed (?) it, and even put me on author alert! I was in shock when I got that e-mail, for sure. So thank you, so much, aand because of all that, this chapter hasn't taken a month to be put up. (: _**

**_I hope you guys like it, 'cuz the action has begun to escalate..._**

**_(for those readers who don't know, I have a blog - joeykrypton13 . tumblr . com - if you wanted to check it out, there you go!_**

**_So thanks again, so much, for reading, and I really hope you enjoy it._**

**_*K_**

* * *

Buffy stood, frozen in place, mouth slightly agape. She wasn't sure what to do – eight years of being a slayer, and she'd never really been visited from beyond the grave before. Well, unless you count the First. Which she didn't.

She blinked, trying to un-jumble the hundreds of thoughts, thousands of possible reactions, bouncing around inside her head.

Scream? No. It wasn't that scary.

Shock? Well, it seemed logical for anyone but her.

…Action? Duh.

She practically sprinted to the door, wrenching it open and running down the hall towards Willow's room. She was gonna feel bad about this, seeing as how it was four A.M., but it was the best option.

Knocking loudly on the redheaded witch's door, she stood, nearly twitching with anxiety, as her best friend took for-absolutely-_ever_ to respond.

Finally, the door swung slowly in, revealing a sleepy and confused Willow, rubbing dust from her eyes as she asked "Buffy? What – what is it?"

"No time, Willow. Wake up Xander and meet me and Angel downstairs, okay? It's important, promise." She began to run away, but looked back with a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry for waking you. It's important, promise." And with that, she hurried down the hall.

* * *

When the four gathered together in the Hyperion's lobby, Angel, Xander, and Willow automatically looked to the blonde slayer for an explanation. "Buffy, you have to tell us, what's going on?" Angel inquired, his words echoing loudly around the empty first floor.

She shook her head, putting her finger to her lips in the universal signal for _be quiet._ The other three nod in understanding as she ushers them into the darkness of the vampire's office in an attempt to avoid waking anyone else.

When the foursome were grouped in the enclosed space, the slayer finally began to speak, looking directly at Willow with urgency.

"Will, I need you to do something for me. You can do time spells, right? Sending people back and forth in the time-space continuum thingy?"

The witch frowned, trying to figure out what her friend was getting at. "Well, yeah, Buffy, but I mean, there's rules-"

The slayer hushed her. "I know, I know. This won't go against any, promise." She took a deep breath, then blurted out as fast as she could – "I need you to send me back to August fifth, 1876."

* * *

He whirled the machete with skill, handling it as though it was a baton, hacking away shrubbery and demons with ease. He wasn't exactly sure if he was _supposed_ to have a weapon, but he wasn't about to argue with it's presence – not after killing it's previous owner with his bare hands. _That_ wasn't fun. His hands had ended up nearly cut to ribbons, but of course they healed pretty quickly. Something about the air in this dimension.

A while back, he had discovered a stream, a path of smooth, glittering water gliding downhill. Spike couldn't have put his finger on a reason, but it seemed right to follow it. Sure enough, it had let him along to the majority of the demons he'd killed so far – many of which, unfortunately, were disguised by the thicket surrounding them, which was part of what led the bleach-blonde vampire to his current activity. Cutting away everything in sight – and even some things not seen.

Anyway, as he continued to walk, he killed, and as he killed, the brush around him seemed to lighten. Not just from his incessant mangling of his surroundings, either. As in the leaves were less thick, the trunks further apart. And as the wood began to disappear, the stream became wider, the flow stronger, until it was finally what could be described as white water – a constant roaring in the ears, charging against sharp, weather-worn rocks.

Here, there were no demons, which actually heightened Spike's worry and paranoia. He glanced around, jaw tightening and eyes searching for the trap. The vampire strained his ears until they almost hurt, but he still couldn't hear anything but the constantly thundering rapids.

Scanning the area, the bleach-blonde vampire noticed something odd – with the exception of behind him, where the great forest spanned, he was surrounded by a field. The first completely open space he had come upon in this particular hell dimension. Despite the lack of a breeze, the five-foot yellow-green grasses waved back and forth in a seductive dance, like a cobra-charmer. It would have reminded anyone else of the poppy field in 'The Wizard of Oz' – Spike had never been especially interested in that movie. Too sing-songy, and not enough drama.

The strange thing was, this field, and the river cutting it in half, seemed to continue on in all three directions – and on, and on, and on. Even as he squinted, Spike could sense no end. Not even a curve in the land, where it could double back on itself. Just a never-ending grassland.

It was then that a wicked smile began spreading itself across his features, accompanying the realization that _this must be the end._ "But where's the great big bloody final test where I must perform a feat of great strength, endurance, and character?" He asked, glancing upwards, hoping 'The Creator' was aware just whom his words were directed at. The leather jacket crinkled at his shoulders as he shrugged – not with helplessness, just with snark.

He looked around himself for the Great One's response, and wasn't disappointed. The fancy script scrawled itself on a rare piece of empty land not three inches from Spike's toes – he rolled his eyes as he realized this had probably been "planned".

_William the Bloody – Spike._

_ As you will be informed within the next ten minutes (Earth time – as you may have figured out, time doesn't really exist where you are), you have reached the end of the first half of your task. Ah – nearly, that is. Do not be worried – there is, to use your phrase, a "great big bloody final test where you must perform a feat of great strength, endurance, and character." _

_ One word, William. Swim._

_ Your purpose is admirable – always keep that in mind._

_ With regards,_

_ -Me._

Spike glared in shock at the message from his "creator." He stared at the water. Then continued with his attempt to stare down the ground.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me."

With those words, the vampire took a deep, unnecessary breath, and plunged into the icy waters of his destiny.

* * *

**_And there it is! Once more, hope you liked it, and reviewers get a free conversation along with a digital cookie. :D_**

**_Anyway, I can't thank you enough for reading. _**

**_Uhm... That is all. :)_**

**_*K_**


	7. Chapter 7

**_Hey, guys! Yeah, I know, I'm back, like, super soon. For my readers. :) The hit counter kind of skyrocketed - for me, anyway. I just - it was a lot. So everyone, thank you for reading! And here's chapter seven. Things are definitely starting to pick up._**

**_Enjoy. :)_**

**_*K_**

* * *

_"With those words, the vampire took a deep, unnecessary breath, and plunged into the icy waters of his destiny."_

He came up sputtering – even with no breath, water in the lungs was an unpleasant sensation – and snapped open his blue eyes, nearly white hair an unfortunate mess and soaking black clothes clinging to his body.

The sight of his surroundings – the moments ago lush field now barren – came accompanied with a gasp of surprise.

"What the hell happened here in the five bloody seconds I was underwater?" He thought aloud, pulling himself over the embankment and shaking himself like a wet dog, water droplets flying from his hair.

"Nothing happened, Spike. It has always been like this. It always will be." The sweet voice sounded from his right, and he turned cautiously to an angel, a view that actually had lost its novelty and element of shock.

This girl was different than the last, though. Much less cliché. She was still, however, just as beautiful as the previous one, with skin the color of heavily sweetened coffee and darker brown hair in naturally tight curls – hair that would be past the shoulders of straightened, but only reached the angel's earlobes as it was. _Of course,_ Spike thought,_ she's no Buffy…_

He shook his head to though to banish the forbidden thought – he had to focus on aloofness. No caring allowed at this point.

The vampire allowed an obviously fake, charming smile to expand over his face as he greeted her, "Ah, hello there." Followed by a frown. "What do you mean?"

She smirked at his moodiness, responding with a just as cryptic "You're finally seeing everything as it is," in the same smooth voice.

He raised one eyebrow, informing her of the fact that she was being confusing, without actually having to say anything. But of course she already knew, and let out a tinkling laugh.

"It's whatever, Spike. I'm supposed to be all… mysterious, and angelic." Her smile turned itself almost literally upside-down. "It's not easy. Not when you're who I was, in my life."

He gave a half-forced laugh. "Think of who you're talking to, love. So what did you mean?"

Her smile was almost sincere this time. "The water washes away all illusions. It's a hell dimension, Spike. Evil wouldn't spend a lot of time on a garden. It's enchanted, to torture the residents." She looked him up and down once more, and her grin widened. "Sorry you had to mess up your bad-boy appearance to get through."

Spike snorted, and she gave another bell-like laugh. "The point is, you're free to go." The extremely un-orthodox angel laughed, proceeding to perform a bit of a dance, which included the waving of arms, stomping of feet, and much hair flipping. When she finished with a grin, she presented a final flourish and waved at his portal. "There you go, Spike."

He caught himself at the verge of a genuine, uncharacteristic laugh. "Hey, let the Great One know I want you as my guardian angel."

Her chiming giggle was the last thing he heard in that dimension, fading out as he stepped into the blinding light and into the third hell.

* * *

A deep silence – the kind no one wants to cut through – filled the room. It seemed as though all four of the occupants were holding their breaths – even the one who technically had none.

The blonde slayer glanced around at her three closest friends, completely unable to read their thoughts. Angel looked like he might be in shock. Willow's features were filled with worry and consideration. And Xander just looked confused. In fact, he was the first to speak after Buffy's unexpected request.

"But… Buff. Why?" he spoke slowly, as though he were unsure of his own ability to form the right words.

She looked around at the other three once again, biting her lip slightly in uncertainty. "It'll sound crazy."

Angel was the second to respond, shaking his head slowly, then looked the slayer in the eyes. "But we need to know, Buffy. Why?"

"I…" she looked back at him with worry, not sure how they'd take it.

Finally, Willow rolled her eyes. "Buffy, after what we've been through in the last eight years… I really doubt we'll have any trouble believing you."

The blonde sighed, defeated. "Fine. Guys, I had a… I don't know. A vision thing, sort of, maybe? It's all weird. But I woke up this morning –" she laughed a little. "Does it still count as morning when it's only four o'clock? Whatever. I woke up to, like, this screaming. And I ran downstairs, to room 107…" Angel took a sharp breath, knowing the meaning of that room, but allowed Buffy to continue. "And… And Cordelia was there. And she told me that that was where I was needed, and the Powers sent her to tell me, and I need to go like now-ish." She let out the final few sentences in a rush, much as she had her request at first.

She had been staring at her feet for the majority of her story, and when she looked up again, everyone was staring at her incredulously. "It's true!" she protested almost helplessly, which was rare for her. But they had to know. "I'm not crazy, really!"

Angel began slowly nodding, as did Willow, while Xander retained his expression of disbelief and looked back and forth between them in shock. "You don't really think –" he began, then shook his head, as though clearing it, before looking straight at Buffy. "Buff, I've always got your back, you know that. And I'm used to dealing with – oh, all sorts of things. But this… Buffy, it isn't really believable. I wanna believe you, but –"

The redhead cut him off. "No, Xand, it happens. The Powers can do anything. Anything. Buffy, I believe you. Angel?"

The vampire continued gazing at the blonde vampire, still nodding slowly. "I think… If Cordy said it. We're going to have to try."

Buffy smiled slowly at her friends, even at Xander's defeated features. "Okay, Willow. So what will we need?"

* * *

**_Ta-da! Chapter seven. Eight will be up as soon as I right it. I'm kind of on a role - summer vacation and such - so there should be some updating within the next couple of weeks. If not, I'm super sorry. But I'll try, promise._**

**_So, I hope you all liked it, and... Yeah. Let me know if you did, because feedback keeps us writers going. "I'm like Tinker Bell! I need applause to live!" -Rachel Berry ;)_**

**_Sorry for the random quote. Uh. I'll just... Be going now..._**

**_Bye! :)_**

**_*K_**


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hi, guys! I know it's a bit late, and I apologize for that. I developed a severe case of writer's block. So I just wrote this in like an hour, and it's not very good, and it might be super incredibly confusing - but hey. Here it is! _**

**_Enjoy. I'll try to have the next chapter up sooner, though it might be difficult -school's just started, and I'm trying to balance three AP Classes as well as a college-level-but-not-labeled-as-such Physics course. _**

**_Sorry. Complaining. Once again, enjoy!_**

**_*K_**

* * *

It was as though there were no one else. The worried expressions surrounding her – and they had good reason for their concern – meant almost nothing, as she concentrated on her goal. The goal that could save – well, she didn't actually know what. She just knew that she sure as hell was gonna accomplish it.

Buffy shook her head as though to clear the thoughts from her mind – thought was allowed, but only one. Just the one. _August fifth, 1876. That's where I need to go. I'm not sure what I need to do there. But I can find out once I arrive. Go. Go. August fifth, August fifth, August fifth…_

* * *

When he opened his eyes once again, he was surrounded by a pure, fluffy whiteness. "Bloody hell…?" He looked around, trying to figure out where he was. "I mean… Heaven?"

This time, there was no voice to respond to his question. His brow furrowed in confusion. This seemed an awful lot like –

And that's when it hit him. The cold air, that is. To any human, it would have felt like sunbathing in the Arctic. Spike, on the other hand, just shivered a bit as his undead body adjusted to the new temperature. His tongue flicked over his lips for just a moment as he surveyed his surroundings, taking everything in. Actually, all that there was to take in wasn't much at all. He narrowed his eyes at the lack of demonic activity in this frozen hell, the polar opposite of the one he had first visited as a hero. Was that only days ago? Because time flies when you're killing things.

The creature in black slightly, hardly disappointed at the lack of mist in the air. He'd gotten used to it by now – his lack of a mark on the universe. His brow furrowed a bit as he considered that perhaps that was why he enjoyed being a champion so much. He was doing something that would last. And – he shook his blond head to escape any philosophical thoughts. Now wasn't the time for those. It was a time for detachment and – _hey,_ he thought as he saw something on the horizon, lips curling into the smirk that only he could pull off. _Killing things._

* * *

Her brain was concentrating so hard on that one date, the only letters and numbers that had any meaning in her world, that she didn't notice when she had arrived in a time one hundred and twenty years before her own.

That is, she didn't notice until her brain decided to quit drowning out her surroundings.

"Miss?" The word came in a familiar voice, accompanied by a tapping on her shoulder, and she turned around with wide eyes to a face she hadn't seen for – well, it felt like ever.

"_Spike?"_ The name came from her mouth in a gasp, airy and light with disbelief. "Oh my – _Spike?_" The slayer's delicate hands rose up to cover her mouth, greenish eyes portraying all the confusion and elation that was clogging up her brain.

The man in front of her, the man with glasses and light brown hair, dressed in proper attire for the era, the man who barely looked himself and yet was still somehow recognizable – he took a step back, eyebrows furrowed and apparently perplexed at her reaction to him. William Pratt glanced to his left, and to his right, practically spinning around in search for the 'Spike' that this gorgeous – though scandalously clothed – young woman was staring at. "I – I'm sorry, miss. Who is _Spike?_"

As her pulse slowed down and her mind cleared itself, Buffy realized that though it was her Spike's voice – he sounded different. And he looked different, too, she ascertained with a thorough examination. But still – there was no doubt as to whom she was looking at. "But – you are." Her tone was certain, mixed with bewilderment, and still the slightest trace of shock.

His features rearranged themselves once more, his expression a bit haughty now, as he pulled himself to his full height and straightened his jacket. "Why, I most certainly am not! My name is William Pratt. I am not this –" he sniffed in a pompous manner "- _Spike, _whom you speak of."

The blonde slayer was silent for a moment, standing there as William scrutinized her. She had heard people say in the past that they could feel the wheels in their brains moving, they were thinking so hard. _I finally understand that, _she was thinking – and then it hit her.

Eighteen seventy-six. Spike was a vampire in eighteen eighty. Meaning –

She raised her eyes once more to the man in front of her, this _William Pratt. _

"Whoa."

* * *

The vampire with the bleach-blonde hair spit into the white snow as he walked, staining it as red as the ground he had just left. His nose crinkled in disgust as he wiped blood from a cut at the corner of his mouth – first time injured while acting as a hero. This was a new thing.

Spike shook his head, as though to stop himself from thinking. One more hell dimension, and he'd be home. He'd be able to see Buffy. To tell her –

Well, he didn't really know what, exactly. He knew what he felt for her. He knew what she didn't feel for him. _I suppose I'll just have to – _

The phrase, 'look before you leap' really should be applied to most actions. As in, changed to 'look before you move at all because there may be a worm hole two centimeters to your left'. In the case of William the Bloody, he should have looked before he stepped. He didn't, though. And before he knew it, he was sliding leather-boots-first into an icy tunnel without an observable end.

* * *

_**Okay, everyone! There you go! Oh, and I'd just like to thank everyone who's favorited this and added it to their story alerts. I can't thank you enough, and I really hope this chapter didn't disappoint. It's not very long, and I'm sorry for that. Shorter the chapter, sooner I can get it up, though!**_

_**I'll see you all as soon as I can. **_

_***K**_


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